COLUMBUS, Ohio – The way the ball bounces across the nation’s high school basketball gyms lies largely in the hands of an Ohioan.

Ohio High School Athletic Association Commissioner Dan Ross was elected to the National Federation of State High School Association's Basketball Rules Committee this year.

In two weeks, Ross and seven members of the committee will meet in Indianapolis to discuss pretty hefty topics on the table.

Two of those topics include the possibility of a shot clock and 18-minute halves, instead of four quarters.

Ross would not directly say if he was in favor or not of the two topics, but did say he and OHSAA basketball liaison Jerry Snodgrass sent surveys asking coaches across the state and the section, as well as the president of the Ohio Basketball Coaches Association, to affirm or deny the possible changes. The OHSAA is awaiting those responses, which Ross will take to the meeting in Indianapolis.

“The wonderful thing is you have some wonderful opportunities to represent our coaches when they say, ‘We would really like this or this,’” Ross said in an interview with the Northeast Ohio Media Group. “You get a chance to be right at the table and say ‘This is something our coaches feel very, very strong about and they would really like, or they don’t like this.’”

Another of Ross' roles is to represent the section, while bringing bigger issues to the forefront that he feels need to be addressed.

“If there are suggestions for rules that you believe are going to make the game better, then you certainly have the opportunity to (bring them forward),” Ross said. “And then you have the opportunity to either affirm or deny suggestions people bring to the table that you think are either going to help or hinder the game.”

The OHSAA commissioner is used to hearing people’s suggestions. Just last month, Ross felt the backlash, positive and negative, when he named two hockey teams co-state champions after seven overtimes and more than 140 minutes of ice time.

“This committee is a wonderful opportunity to help give back,” Ross said, while wearing a ‘Children First’ lapel pin. “You get to be a part, and especially if you like the sport. And I love the sport of basketball. I think it touches a lot of kids' lives and you have an opportunity to make that better.”

The NFHS places each state into one of eight sections. Ross will represent Section 2, which includes Ohio, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia. Ross will serve a four-year term. The OHSAA was not certain the last time a member of its organization was part of the NFHS Basketball Rules Committee.

Ross has been on several other committees. He is currently in his third year with the NFHS Hall of Fame Screening Committee and he was formerly the chair of the NFHS Strategic Planning Committee. A former basketball official, as well as a former assistant coach for Portsmouth, Ross has dealt with the ins and outs of basketball for many years prior to his 10-year tenure leading the OHSAA.

There are 800-plus high schools in the OHSAA. The only other states with more high schools are California, located in Section 7, and Texas, located in Section 6.

A majority of Ohio high schools have both boys and girls basketball. That means Ross and Snodgrass can receive basketball inquiries from more than 1,600 Ohio high school coaches, as well as those team’s parents, players, extended family and fans.

“There’s a sizeable portion of people that you can get some great input from to take (to the NFHS),” Ross said. “So Ohio a lot of the time ends up being in that mix … just for the simple fact of we have an awful lot of schools and an awful lot of kids.”

So what if there were ever a chance for him to impact those schools and kids as part of a NFHS Hockey Rules Committee?

“Oh, I would love doing that one,” he said with a smile and a chuckle. “Hey, I’d love that one.”

Contact high school sports reporter Stephanie Kuzydym by email (skuzydym@cleveland.com) or on Twitter (@stephkuzy). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

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